Chapter29
Derrick leaned over, curious. “Dora, what do you need this for?”
“To fool my little brother.” Dora said, slipping the certificate back into her bag. Even she couldn’t help laughing at herself.
Seventeen years old, and here she was, scheming like this just to trick a kid.
Effie connected the dots, remembering what Dora had asked the day. before. “You’re going to tell him you used the painting he gave you to enter a competition, won a prize, and now you’re giving him part of the prize money?”
“Yup.” Dora admitted it easily.
She’d already decided to give him 1700 dollars. Spending 1700 dollars to buy a bit of goodwill and a clean reputation? A total win in her book.
Derrick raised an eyebrow. “So… you’re not telling the Acosta family what the real award was for?”
“There’s no need. I’m just pretending there was a cash prize. Giving him. the money makes it seem like I used his painting not for personal gain, but to help his talent get seen. The certificate may have my name on it, but giving him the money shows I’m not trying to steal credit.”
She said it like she was discussing someone else’s story–calm, detached, completely unfazed.
Even Ellie fell silent for a moment. No wonder she was raised by the Elendrix family–Dora looked at everything through the lens of strategy. There was no room for sentimentality or guilt.
But that was understandable. The reason she got along so well with Effic and the others was because they were the same age, had grown up together, and had built years of trust.
The Acosta family, on the other hand? They’d only just reentered her life. To Dora, they were blood relatives at best–practically strangers.
“How long are you planning to stay with the Acosta family?” Effie asked suddenly, curiosity piqued.
Knowing Dora, most people would assume she’d strike out on her own after leaving the Hendrix family. But instead, she’d moved in with the Acosta family and even settled down for the time being. Clearly, she had other plans. One thing was obvious–she wasn’t planning to stay forever.
“No idea.” Dora said vaguely.
the
Being underage came with a lot of restrictions. For now, Acostal family was just a place to stay until she turned eighteen. Once she hit legal adulthood, she could open her own accounts and live independently. Whether things would go smoothly until then was another story.
And she wasn’t helping the Acosta family out of the kindness of her heart either. Take introducing Dewey to Alonzò, for example–it wasn’t a favor. Dewey had rare, natural talent, and Alonzo had been actively searching for an apprentice. If either of those factors hadn’t lined up, she wouldn’t have bothered!
As for the renovations? That was purely personal. She just wanted a place she could live in comfortably. After all, a girl raised as a rich heiress wasn’t about to spend every night roughing it.
And maybe–just maybe–making life a little easier for them now would case the guilt when she eventually walked away.
*****
“1
Out in the fifth–floor hallway, Kayla leaned against the railing and looked. down. Linda was hiding behind the fake rock garden, crying quietly to herself. looking small and defeated.
She waited around twenty minutes before slowly heading down.
Just before reaching the garden, she tousled her bangs, did a couple high- knee lifts to look out of breath, and put on her most concerned face. When she finally turned the corner, she called out between panting breaths, checks flushed as if she’d really been running.
“Linda! So this is where you were–I’ve been looking all over for you!”
Linda quickly wiped the tears from her face and looked at Kayla in surprise. “You’re here? What are you doing here?”
Kayla sighed and sat down beside her. “I was worried about you. You ran out so suddenly–I couldn’t concentrate in class after that.”
Feeling the genuine concern, Linda was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected anyone to be on her side. The moment of kindness cracked her composure, and all the bottled–up frustration came pouring out. Her tears. fell in streams, and she could barely get the words out through her sobs.
“I just wanted to get along with everyone. I didn’t think they’d be so biased against me.”
Kayla gently patted her back, offering quiet comfort. “That’s just how they are. They’ve always followed Dora around like she walks on water. I can’t stand it either. That’s why I never really clicked with anyone in class. But Linda, if you’re willing–I’d like to be your friend.”
Linda’s eyes lit up through the tears, and she gave a hard sniff, nodding carnestly.
Ever since she’d returned to the Hendrix family, she hadn’t had a single person she could truly talk to.
